Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Fang
The sound of Winter’s laughter is the best thing I’ve heard in what feels like a lifetime. It’s warm, real, and reaches down to my very soul. A place that has felt empty for the last two years.
It’s like she belongs here, with me. Like she was made for me.
Her presence is mending old wounds and healing that part of me that died with Vile.
I’ve never been a fan of insta-love romance novels because that shit always seemed fake as hell.
But as I watch her laughing at Jelly’s response, I can’t help but feel like this girl is my home.
Her phone has been pinging nonstop since I sent that text. I don’t need to read it to know that her friend is pushing for details. Girls always seem to gravitate toward gossip. Especially where sex is involved.
Jelly might be sorely disappointed when she learns that Winter and I did nothing more than sleep and share our tragic pasts.
“Winter?”
She silences her cell phone and sets it aside. “Yes?” Her left eyebrow lifts when she sees the seriousness on my face. “Is everything okay?”
I cup her cheek, needing to touch her. “This isn’t a one-night thing. You and I have something, a connection.”
“Yeah, I feel it too.” She leans forward, pressing her lips to mine. Unlike last night when she was putting on a show for her ex, this kiss is tender and full of promise. Promise for what, I’m not sure. I’m just ecstatic that she’s willing to give this a shot.
A rap on the door, followed by Zero’s voice interrupts our moment. “Hang tight, babe.” When I slip out of bed, there’s a twinge in my shoulder. This isn’t my first gunshot wound, most likely won’t be my last.
I can feel Winter’s eyes on me. Feel her concern. When I swing the door open, Zero is on the other side wearing a scowl. “What’s up?”
“They sent us a message.” Tossing his phone to me, he says, “Those bastards blew up Mick’s Diner.”
All the blood drains from my face and I feel lightheaded. “Mick and Sandra?”
Zero is quiet for a moment which sets my nerves on fire. If anything happened to them, I’m not sure my sanity would be able to handle it. “They’re fine.” Knowing they’re okay, I scroll through the pictures on his cell as he continues. “Mick has some scrapes, and Sandra had left for the night.”
So much for us having time to get a plan in action. These assholes are thirsty for war, and I’m more than happy to give them just what they deserve. “Does Sinner know?” Of course he knows. He’s the president of this damn club. He knows everything that goes on in our world.
Zero nods. “Yep, he’s called church.”
“Be down in five.” He doesn’t say a word, just treks down the hall. As I shut the door, Winter hops off the bed, closing the distance between us. “What does this mean?”
Pushing her hair back, I kiss her forehead.
“It means that things have escalated, and we need to act fast.” I wish more than anything I could stay here.
With her. We haven’t had enough time to really get to know one another.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Sinner will send us off tonight to fight.
To seek revenge. Not just for last night, but for my father and my brother.
Downstairs its eerily quiet. Everyone except Buzzcut and the prospects are in church. Waiting for me. Inside, Ramon is sitting off to the side with his foot propped up on a chair. Everyone else is in their assigned seat at the oval table.
Closing the door behind me, I take my place to the left of my uncle. Sinner releases a breath. “Last night Mick’s Diner was attacked. Luckily, Sandra had already left for the night, so she wasn’t in danger.”
“How is Mick?” Ramon asks.
“A little banged up, but not bad.” Sinner steeples his fingers. “He did catch a glimpse of one of the Hollow Bones members.”
Silence ensues as we wait with bated breath. The way Sinner mentions this member sounds like we might know who he is. “Who was it?” Haze asks.
Sinner rests his chin on his fingertips, eyes scanning the lot of us. The suspense is thickening, every one of us inching forward in our seats. “Ghost.”
There’s a round of gasps as we digest what we’ve just been told.
Ghost used to be one of us. In fact, he was the enforcer when my father was president.
I’m not sure what happened between the two, but my father and Ghost had a falling out when I was just a boy.
Then my uncle became the president and Ghost just disappeared.
Now, the man I viewed as an uncle when I was a kid, is the man responsible for the bullet hole in my shoulder. Responsible for the attack on our Halloween Carnival and the attack to Mick’s Diner.
And now that man is going to pay.
“As you all know, my plan to send Haze, Wolf, and Zero to scope out the Hollow Bones has been foiled. They attacked twice in one night and I cannot in good conscious allow them the opportunity to strike again. We need to gear up and head out.”
There is sound of agreement throughout the room. Every member is ready for retaliation. We don’t take threats lightly. Attack us and we strike back. We’re the Iron Devils, and we rule with an iron fist.
Haze leans forward, his blue eyes glinting with the need for violence. “When do we leave?”
Sinner stands, “Sixteen hundred hours.” Meaning four o’clock in the afternoon.
That’s only three hours away. Not enough time to pack and say goodbye to Winter.
Winter, a girl I met less than twenty-four hours ago.
A girl that has quickly wormed her way into my heart.
My heart, the very thing that has been dead for way too long.
The minute the gavel slams, dismissing church, I’m up and out of the room in lightning speed. This is the moment I have been waiting for since the day Vile died in my arms. For two years I have waited for Sinner to give the go ahead for war. To seek revenge.
What has taken so long, you ask. Well, our Prez, my uncle, has been planning a strategy for so long.
Waiting for the right time. Since the Hollow Bones president claimed to not have had the knowledge of the death of my father or the death of my brother, Sinner didn’t think an attack on the whole club would be justified.
Not to mention, it would break code and put us on every other club’s shit list.
Like the good soldier I am, I went with my brothers to load weapons in our van. Not only were we strapping ourselves down with guns, knives, and extra ammo, we were loading up extras in case we needed them. We have no idea what exactly we are walking into.
Ramon hobbles out to our warehouse, a grimace on his face.
He ignores the looks everyone shoots his way and starts strapping up.
I know he wants to go with us. It’s in his nature.
It’s our code to protect this club and our members at all cost, but Ramon is in no shape to help.
Sure, he’s the club’s enforcer but he isn’t invincible. Regardless of what he may believe.
“Ramon.” I shake my head. “You are in no shape to fight, man.”
“The hell I ain’t.” Shouldering past me, he takes several boxes of ammo.
Tossing multiple magazines on a stack of boxes, he loads each one of them then slips them on his belt for later use.
“Y’all ain’t runnin’ into danger without me.
” Squaring up, the look in his eyes is one of anger.
Not toward me, but anger at the events that recently transpired. “I may be slow, but I ain’t dead.”
With that he pops a pain pill, spins on his heel and treks back the way he came. I’ll leave that for Sinner to deal with. Knowing my uncle, and club life, Ramon is going with us. No matter our injuries, if we are up for the fight, we fight.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I ignore the throb building in my shoulder. My only thoughts are getting up to my room to say goodbye to my girl. When the hell did I start to think of Winter as my girl?
Opening the door, I find Jelly sitting on the edge of the bed.
Her and Winter leaning against each other like they need the other to survive.
When my boots thump on the hardwood, Winter’s gaze lifts to mine.
In the two hours I’ve been gone, dark circles have formed under her eyes.
It’s like she feels the gravity of this situation.
A situation that doesn’t involve her. Other than what she was in the midst of last night.
Untangling from her friend, Winter leaps off the bed and rushes toward me. “Y’all are leaving.” She’s not asking, she knows.
“Yeah,” I whisper into her hair. Hair that smells like citrus and musk. “We ride out at four.” How does my heart ache more for this woman I barely know than it ever did for Sandra?
Winter’s arms tighten around me. “Promise me you’ll be back.
” I don’t promise to be back. We are marching into battle.
There’s no promise of making it through the night unscathed.
My silence says it all. Body trembling, she presses closer like she’s trying to embed herself into my body. “Fang, promise me you’ll be back.”
“Babe, you know I can’t.” Nodding, she jumps into my arms. Biting the inside of my cheek to keep from grunting in pain, I carry her to the bed.
Jelly quietly exits the room, giving us time alone.
Thank God. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Winter has Jelly to lean on, but this is my time.
Jelly will get her back in an hour when we ride out.
Leaning back, she gazes down at the bandage peeking out from under my cut. “Your shoulder.”
“Don’t worry about that.” I cup her face and lean forward. Pressing my lips to hers. “We’re not going to worry about my injury or what ifs.” Tears fill her eyes. “What we are going to do is make this a goodbye to remember. One that gives me purpose and helps me strive to return.”
“You have to return to me.” She runs her fingers through my messy hair. “I need you. As crazy as it sounds, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life even though we barely know each other.”
“I get it.” I kiss her forehead. “The moment you kissed me in front of your ex, I knew you were meant to be mine. Our story isn’t over before it’s begun. Nah, you and I were meant to ride this crazy life together.”
Keeping my gaze on hers, I lean forward, kissing her slow and deep. Needing to taste the one that has breathed life back into my sorry soul. Her hips rock against me like she can’t get enough. Neither can I, but I don’t want our first time to be rushed because I’m leaving for war with our rivals.
Gripping her hips, I halt her movements. “Not like this.”
Lifting a brow, she says, “Not like what? Like you’re going off and I may never see you again.
” She tries to push off me, but I hold her firmly in place.
We are not doing this. Not having our first argument and then me watching her walk away mad while I leave her behind.
That was my parents, and I will not let that be us.
“Stop.” I stand and drop her on the bed, then crawl over her. “We aren’t doing this. We’re not going to fight less than an hour before I leave.”
Gazing up at me, she blinks and the tears that have been building finally break free and trail down her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Yeah, you do.” I rest my weight on my forearms and lean down, my lips hovering over hers.
“You have strong feelings for me and know that I’m riding into a scary as shit war.
” She nods. “But I don’t want our first time together to be rushed, or because you fear you’ll never see me again.
” Kissing her, I give her all I’ve got. Letting her know that I feel it too.
The fear, the anxiety, the connection. “When we do have sex, I don’t just want to devour you.
I want to spend my time committing your body to memory.
Worship you the way you were meant to be worshipped. ”
“Okay.” She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. Her tongue invades my mouth, exploring. It’s sweet, just like her. When I take charge, she yields. Winter is like a cool, sweet dessert in the middle of summer.
This girl is everything I never knew I needed. Now, I just need to ensure I make it home safe and sound.